Photos available from last week: John and Elizabeth were able to go down to Travis’ Stable last Wednesday and work with Sleipnir Sequoyah, our 2003 Black Morgan Stallion, that Britta has in training with Travis.

His ring still had some soft spots from the rain, but they were able to work Sequoyah. Elizabeth took photos of Travis and John driving him; and John took some of Elizabeth driving him. I’m attaching a few here, and more will be posted in his Individual Gallery on Elizabeth’s photography site: http://www.ImagesnMemories.com. She’ll attach the direct link as a comment when she has the chosen pictures attached to his gallery.

It is supposed to rain off and on today and through the weekend, so I don’t know that we’ll have much luck for here on Monday…but we’ll see. Kaya and Tre are off from school for Autumn break next week. It would be nice to be able to be outside with the critters for part of the time.

For further information about Sequoyah, please see some of my earlier posts. Have a good weekend. Hope that it is sunny wherever you are.

Recently, we’ve been auditing some clinics; and been working with some of our Morgans focusing on aspects of carriage driving.
We haven’t abandoned our family’s return to the all-Morgan shows, just adding another dimension.

Over the years, John had two wishes/goals for our Morgans:

(1) to have a Morgan Roadster -to- Bike…Sleipnir Onstar, our 2003 Black Roadster-to-Bike trained Morgan mare was Grand National Top Ten last year. Due to John’s injury and extensive recovery period, and all the tornado damage, we didn’t show her (or anyone) this year – professional or amateur.
(2) to do combined driving events (CDEs). We are working towards that goal now.

Weather isn’t co-operating for our Mondays with Travis here. Second rainy Monday in a row. But John got Wednesday at Travis’ with Sleipnir Sequoyah accomplished last week.

We have four well-trained harness horses available; several with extensive ground driving experience; and a half-dozen youngsters, four of which can begin harness training. We sell our best. Our mission is to share “Family Show Horses : Showy Family Horses,” and to provide historic pedigrees as up close as possible in a modern horse, that still looks like a Morgan.

Several others of our Morgans are trained to harness. They are not on the sales list, and need a refresher; we intend to drive them more often also.
Due to his extended time unable to work, and our reduced mobility, we are willing to accept reasonable offers on about 12 of our 21 Morgan Horses; plus, we have three for sale as agents for other owners. A few of our horses are here for the duration.

In the meantime, we are enjoying the Autumn with the Herd; and working more and more in harness.
Stay tuned for our weekly adventures bringing along some of the horses driving around the farm.
If you are in East Tennessee, and enjoy horses in harness, in any manner, let us know…they don’t have to be Morgans !!!
There is an active carriage driving group in Middle TN…where we are making friends…and learning ALOT. Perhaps we can do some fun things here in East Tennessee too.

Hello,
Recently, we have had some requests regarding Pleasure Driving/Carriage Driving/Combined Driving, Class A National Caliber SHOW ready and untrained young horses.
So, I thought I would write some blogs about several subsets of our Morgan Horses.

We have four horses on the For Sale List that are well trained for harness, one Black stallion, one Black mare, and two Bay geldings – one Bright Bay and one Dark Bay. They have all also been ridden. There are also individual and other group blog postings written regarding each of them.

Sleipnir Sequoyah is a 2003 proven Black stallion, with superb bloodlines, who is calm and steady in harness. He throws athletic, good-looking, good conformation, intelligent, willing, friendly foals – Blacks and one Dark Chestnut. He is at his harness trainer’s, with no vices and current in all his handling, and ready to go to a new home either as a stallion, or gelded. He is a trainer’s dream, and safe for amateurs.

Sleipnir Onstar is a 2003 Black mare who has been recently shown to Grand National Top Ten Roadster-to-Bike. She has superb bloodlines and will be an excellent foundation for someone’s breeding program, or a special outcross for an existing program. She would be easily absorbed in to a national caliber show barn, or an extra-fancy addition to an amateur owner home. S. Onstar is easily harnessed and driven by professionals and amateurs, has been professionally trained to saddle and has carried Western, Hunt and Saddle Seat tack. In harness, she likes to trot her stuff…and is best for a Roadster-to-Bike, Park, or Pleasure Driving with natural action and lots of go power…no vices.

Sleipnir Celestial Array is a 2002 Bright Bay Gelding who has been an In-hand Champion, pinning over some very nice competition. He is professionally trained for Western Saddle and has carried Western, Hunt Seat and Saddle Seat tack. He was started in harness professionally, and finished by a knowledgeable and experienced carriage driving enthusiast, with knowledgeable amateur assistance. He is well behaved for grooming, handling, harnessing, veterinarian and farrier. Sleipnir Celestial Array has some substantial go power in harness, but still with a flat-footed walk. He is currently working in harness here on the farm, outside of our rings and paddocks. Array is a multi-talented fellow who could excel in any of several disciplines.

Sleipnir Fieldstone is a 2006 Dark Bay gelding with an easy-going attitude. He was well started in harness by the same knowledgeable carriage driving enthusiast, with the same knowledgeable amateur assistance. He then spent time with our harness trainer, and was worked specifically to be a family pleasure driving horse. He was shown and Grand National qualified at all Morgan driving, to obtain some showing and showground experience. He was driven at the showground by strangers, did well in the ring, and has been driven at the trainer’s by his then 4 y/o daughter. Recently, after several months off, he has started being driven around the farm, outside of rings or paddocks, including by John, who hasn’t driven in over a year, and by Elizabeth, who hadn’t driven in quite awhile. Good for all his grooming and handling, he has no vices and is amateur safe.

On our For Sale List, we have six young horses with basic handling, that are ready to be finished either professionally or by competent amateurs, at various price points. Sleipnir Hiwassee (Black) and Sleipnir Echo’s Celebrity (Dark Brown Chestnut) are 2009 mares that are ready for harness and /or saddle training. Sleipnir DoubleFeature and Sleipnir Resonance are red to brown chestnut, 2010 geldings that are ready for harness training, and could be saddle trained soon. Sleipnir Star Attraction (Bay) and Sleipnir Diva (Dark Chestnut with chrome) are 2012 fillies (mares) that are ready to be weaned. They can be handled and brought along by amateurs.

Three mares offered for other owners. NEJ Golddust Alice (1993) is a red chestnut 15HH mare who has considerable time as a saddle lesson horse in various sized rings and paddocks. She looks good for a taller person, but still nice looking for a shorter legged individual. Alice also has had alot of ground driving experience and has been used to train ground driving as a pair, including by young beginner grandchildren. Alice has had three nice foals for us on lease, two of which are sold. NEJ Golddust Emma (1996) is her full sister. She is 15HH, and Black Bay. Emma is a broodmare who has had six very sweet and talented foals for us. Both Alice and Emma are easy breeders, good at being handled during deliveries, are attentive, but not possessive, mothers and good for all the routine grooming and handling. Alice could probably have another foal; Emma easily can have several more. Both are open. May’s Sweetie, their dam, a 1984 Black mare is available to go with either, or both, as a companion. All are easy keepers and Herd safe.

All of our horses are sold current on their vaccinations, wormings, with a Negative Coggins and interstate health papers, if traveling out of state to their new home. Also, if possible, current with the farrier. All our horses have significant basic handling and are safe for grooming, the veterinarian, and farrier. All have been in stalls, but are usually kept in pasture or paddocks, and have herd manners. Our stallions are kept in 200′ x100′ paddocks approximately 30-35′ apart, with no difficulties. All of our horses have been imprinted at birth. Heights listed are measured cut-down for pasture, no shoes, pads, or show lengths. Only the horses currently in training are shod. Our horses have good hooves, that they maintain easily; and good legs.

We love to talk about our horses – past and current. We’d be pleased to discuss any of the horse’s particular strengths and talents as we see them for future careers. Our horses are true multi-discipline capable Morgan Horses; but their various talents and attitudes lend themselves towards some careers more than others.

I also posted our list of For Sale Horses, including brief headings regarding the horses for sale; and there are older individual and group postings regarding many of these terrific Morgan Horses.

We always have young to finished Morgan Horses available. Due to John’s injury and long-recovery period, we are willing to negotiate reasonable favorable pricing to good homes where the horses will be treasured and enjoyed. All of our horses over thirty years of breeding have gone to forever homes, where they are valued family members. We stay in contact with purchasers, and are willing to assist if ever a horse needs to be resold. Our trainer(s) are available to discuss any of the horses that they have trained, as well as the Herd in general. We are willing to assist in finding that special Morgan Horse, if we do not have one that suits. And, we are always pleased to just talk horses.

S. Zenith is a Bay by Rhinestone out of Hip Heath Zanna, a Courage of Equinox daughter, now deceased. We have not used Zenith AT Stud as yet due to John’s injury, etc. We had planned to use him this year. He has all his basic handling lessons and is behaved for grooming, veterinarian and farrier. He has has significant amounts of ground-driving up to the hooking stage and has been ridden, including by several amateurs.

S. Zenith is a full brother to our handsome black gelding, Sleipnir Zeus, who was SOLD; and to one of our lovely bay mares, Sleipnir Sophisticated Lady, who we plan to utilize in our broodmare band in the future. Zenith is a prime example of our long-range breeding program: Waseeka’s Nocturne via Waseeka’s Showtime crossed with Ulendon, via Orcland Leader, through Elm Hill High Hat, Courage of Equinox and others, with several significant crosses to Old Government, Brunk, and MidWest and Western Working bloodlines.

Zenith is a 14.2 HH Bright Bay Stallion. He is available For Sale as a Stallion, or can be gelded. He is also available At Stud, for $1,000.00 Live foal guaranteed. We have four stallions, and we only breed a limited number of foals. The bloodlines are very historic as up close as possible, with a more modern horse, that still looks like a Morgan. His bloodlines could be utilized as a Herd Stallion or as an important outcross for all the popular bloodlines. Gelded, he would be a terrific amateur horse.

Here is a photograph of Elizabeth driving S. Fieldstone last Monday. Unfortunately, it is pouring rain today. So, no driving today…but we do need the rain.

This is the first time that Elizabeth has driven in a long while. She used to show Junior Exhibitor Pleasure Driving in New England…I won’t say how long ago.

As you can see, she is driving Fieldstone out in the open. No ring. In the pictures with John driving, same thing. We are doing the same with S. Celestial Array. And hopefully we will get a few others back in harness this Autumn.

S. Sequoyah will be coming home from his harness training soon. Then it will be another’s turn.

He is closely related to Sleipnir Explorer, who had pinned GN Top Ten last year, and was sold to a lovely young lady who fell in love with him at OKC. She has qualified with him and is showing him at GN again this year. Same sire, and Fieldstone’s dam is a daughter of Explorer’s dam.

Fieldstone is also closely related to Sleipnir Onstar, a 2003 Black Roadster-to-Bike who was Top Ten at the Grand Nationals last year.

Fieldstone is professionally trained to harness. He has a calm temperament, with a flat-footed walk. We used him for a grooming demonstration at an Open Barn event as a 2 y/o, with three 7-8 y/o boys doing the demonstration. He also stood nicely for a crowd around him. We took Fieldstone to two Extension Service Day-on-the-Farm Events for first graders and their families. He ate up the attention and the carrots.

He has been trained to saddle by an amateur teenager, with professional guidance, and has been ridden around our farm.

While he was in harness training, the trainer’s 4 y/o daughter drove him; and stood with him in the crossties getting kisses.

4 y/o young lady driving Sleipnir Fieldstone

In the two driving pictures with John, it was the first that Fieldstone had been driven in several months, and it was the first that John had driven since before his injury last October. Fieldstone stood for the electric wheelchair coming over to him, and for John getting in and out of the cart.

Our trainer trusted Fieldstone with his daughter. And we trusted him to stand well for John.

Fieldstone has been shown in harness at a qualifying show for the Grand Nationals, and drove strangers around the showgrounds. We are going to continue to work him in harness for John and I to drive.

If you think of our herd in thirds…a third as retirees who are here for the duration; a third as replacement bloodlines to continue our breeding program; and a third that are for sale, because someone needs to be…Fieldstone, Sleipnir Celestial Array, Sleipnir Double Feature, and Sleipnir Resonance are our geldings for sale. We also have mares and stallions available for sale.

Sleipnir Fieldstone personifies our motto of over thirty years duration:

Family Show Horses : Showy Family Horses.

Sleipnir FieldstoneJohn Denman, whip

Elizabeth will post a direct link to Sleipnir Fieldstone’s Public Gallery with further photos.